Archive for September, 2008

Product Review Lexol Leather Cleaner

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

 

During September 2008 we purchased the Lexol Leather Cleaner at retail for approximately seven dollars.

The Lexol Leather Cleaner is intended for normal surface dirt.

This product is not intended for stain or odor removal. 

The Lexol Leather Cleaner features a glycerin rich formulation. 

Glycerol courtesy of Wikipedia is a chemical compound also commonly called glycerin or glycerine. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. Glycerol is a sugar alcohol, and is sweet-tasting and of low toxicity. Glycerol has three hydrophilic alcoholic hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. 

This product cleans normal surface dirt efficiently. 

Because Lexol has clearly stated on the label that this product is not appropriate for stain removal we did not test it for any urine removal properties.

Posted in Leather Cleaners, Product Review Lexol Leather Cleaner | Comments Off

Product Review Obenauf’s Leather Oil

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

 

 

During September 2008 we purchased the Obenauf’s Leather Oil at retail for about thirteen dollars.

          The primary ingredients are natural preserving oils, beeswax and propolis.

          Propolis courtesy of Wikipedia is a resinous mixture that bees collect from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources. It is used as a sealant for unwanted open spaces in the hive. Propolis is used for small gaps (approximately 6.35 millimeters (0.3 in) or less), while larger spaces are usually filled with beeswax.

 

          In layman’s terms the primary ingredients are natural preserving oils, beeswax and sealant.

 

          We applied two coats per the label instructions and tested for water repellency. This product is excellent with water beading up and away almost immediately. With monthly applications the end user would effectively waterproof their clothing and shoes.

 

          This product would be particularly effective for sportsmen and hunters who have a strong need to waterproof their outdoor apparel including their boots.

 

          What about other household uses?

 

          We applied the product to a new leather sofa. We exposed the leather furniture to our cat and as expected the cat urinated on it.

 

          After repeated attempts we were unsuccessful removing the urine.

          Excellent waterproofing characteristics are what make this product so attractive to sportsman. Waterproofing is why this product is not recommended if you have cats. The cats will get around to urinating on that leather furniture and the urine will be sealed in by the waterproofing.                

           The Obenauf’s leather oil earned a buy recommendation.

Posted in Product Review Obenaufs Leather Oil, Waterproofing Agents | Comments Off

Product Review Lexol Leather Conditioner

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008

 

 

During September 2008 we reviewed the Lexol Leather Conditioner.

This product was purchased at retail for approximately seven dollars.

This is a tanning oil based product. The tanning oils are emulsified into microscopic droplets for better penetration.

Lexol’s technical strategy is excellent and should result in a product that maintains that fine leather furniture.

Nice feel and capable of maintaining that expensive leather surface.

Suggested uses are the automotive environment where the leather should be conditioned regularly.

Because this is an oil based product it is not appropriate for any leather that may be exposed to cat urine or dog urine.

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Product Review Clorox Regular Bleach

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

 

During September 2008 we reviewed Clorox regular bleach.

 

This is probably the best known of the disinfectants.

Clorox claims to kill over ninety nine percent of common bacteria.

At a couple of dollars for a large bottle this is a cost effective solution to disinfecting the bathroom including that toilet bowl.

Like all disinfectants this product is most comfortable in the bathroom.

When it comes to bleach, Clorox is our favorite.

The very ingredients that make disinfectants effective could create serious complications when trying to remove urine from your carpeting and upholstery.

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Disinfectants

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

 

We live in a world of bacteria and viruses.

Products that kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria or viruses are disinfectants.

Disinfectants belong in the bathroom and kitchen, not in your living room.

The very ingredients that make disinfectants effective could create serious complications when trying to remove urine from your carpeting and upholstery.

Posted in Disinfectants, Product Review Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, Product Review Lysol | Comments Off

Leather Cleaners

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

 

There is significant confusion in the marketplace regarding what constitutes a leather cleaner and what constitutes a leather conditioner.

A leather conditioner replaces oils that evaporate or that are transferred from the leather surfaces to your clothes. Over time these oils need to be replenished to keep the leather looking supple.

The downside here is that leather conditioners have a tendency to block the pores making future cleaning very difficult.

A leather cleaner has an entirely different function.

Leather cleaners are designed to clean the leather surfaces without blocking the pores.

 

If you own cats don’t purchase leather furniture.

 

If you own leather furniture don’t own cats.

 

If you own cats and love leather furniture then you should understand the differences between leather conditioners and leather cleaners.

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Product Review Dawn Dishwashing Liquid

Wednesday, September 10th, 2008

During September 2008 we reviewed Dawn dishwashing liquid.

This product was purchased at retail for less then three dollars. 

We tested Dawn dishwashing liquid for efficacy on our dishes and our pots and pans. Dawn performed well in the kitchen.

 

We filled a small sink full of clean water and one tablespoon of Dawn so we could measure our results.

On normal non greasy breakfast dishes it performed very well after a short soak.

On greasy dishes we had to increase the amount of Dawn to two tablespoons or more to get comparable results.

This is exactly the same protocol that would be appropriate regardless of the brand of dishwashing liquid that we were evaluating.

Overall Dawn dishwashing liquid performed strongly in the kitchen.

What about other household uses?

We sprayed some urine on upholstered furniture and allowed the urine to set up for twenty four hours.

We mixed three tablespoons of Dawn dishwashing liquid with sixteen ounces of water in a small spray bottle.

We sprayed the urine generously with the Dawn solution and waited several minutes.

The urine would not budge. 

We repeated this test several times to validate our results.

Our conclusion is that Dawn dishwashing liquid is not effective at removing human or pet urine. 

After examining the areas that we sprayed we concluded that no urine removal product would now be effective in those areas.

The very ingredients that make any modern dishwashing liquid effective will also turn any carpeting or upholstery that you spray them on into a chemical waste land.

Specialized cleaning products are always best when used in the manner the manufacturer intended.

Dawn dishwashing liquid is no exception.

Dawn dishwashing liquid as the name implies is designed and intended to be used in the kitchen.

It does a great job there and you can not ask any more from this competent product.

Asking Dawn dishwashing liquid to remove human and pet urine stains from your carpeting and upholstery is unreasonable and could result in you having to throw out that furniture or carpeting. 

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